While there may or may not be such a thing as the perfect movie, there are definitely perfect circumstances surrounding a movie- there may be no better evidence of this point than "Rocky."
Everything from the movie's low budget to the timing of its release equated to a perfect storm of film-making. Despite what the franchise would eventually become, I think people tend to lose sight of how credible and artistically/culturally significant the first "Rocky" movie was.
A self-described "ham and egger" boxer in Philadelphia, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) works primarily as a hired goon for a small-time loan shark Tony Gazzo but still believes he may be able to make something of himself as a prizefighter. He is strangely fascinated with his best friend Paulie's reclusive sister Adrian (Talia Shire) and pursues her every day with little success. Meanwhile, world heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers, in the best Muhammad Ali impression ever put on film) is looking for an opponent for his big New Year's Day 1976 main event, which Creed has been marketing all along as a huge bicentennial match, as his original opponent has a broken hand.
Knowing that there is nobody active in the sport who would be a marketable name, he decides to change the focus to a gimmick match where he gives an unknown fighter a title shot. Despite the pleas of his handlers, Creed decides on Rocky, ignoring the alleged Southpaw Curse (inherent fear that left-handed boxers are too difficult to read) and instead focusing on the marquee value of "Apollo Creed Vs. The Italian Stallion." All the while, Rocky and Adrian's relationship finally begins to take shape once the challenge is issued- another sign that things are looking up for Rocky.
The first time we see Rocky outside of the boxing ring he is talking to his pet turtles, not the way normal pet owners talk to their animals, but as equals- more evidence to the fact that Rocky is so terribly lonely rather than him being punch-drunk or weird. It is this isolation that establishes him as a good guy in a bad situation rather than just a goon.
Loneliness and isolation is a character trait that runs through most all of the main characters in the movie- Adrian, as we find out, has never had a boyfriend prior to Rocky and has a co-dependant relationship with Paulie, who, while he blames his obligation to take care of Adrian, knows deep down that this is not the case. Even Rocky's trainer/manager Mickey, a gruff old-time boxer from the 20's forms an oddly paternal relationship with Rocky, for reasons that at first seem selfish but are later revealed to be a product of vicarious living, which not only speaks to his personality but also sets the stage for the significant amount of character development that occurs over the 5 week period in which the movie takes place.
Nowhere is the change in a character more evident than in Adrian. By being the first man to ever notice her, let alone make her feel special, Rocky completely liberates Adrian. She is able to stand up to Paulie, speak for herself and openly show affection for Rocky. The beginning of this transformation begins on Adrian and Rocky's first date, which culminates with her seeing Rocky's apartment for the first time, which is another form of cinematic beauty all its own.
Had "Rocky" been a big-budget movie, the presentation of Rocky's apartment would have taken on a contrived and over-the-top feeling. You see it all the time with Hollywood films; poverty has to be spelled out to an almost Dickensian obviousness. Rather than a modestly furnished apartment the place would either have been bare or strewn with junk, the beat up couch would have springs and coils coming out of it, his refrigerator would be shown as either empty or full of old junk food and God only knows what his bathroom would look like. Rather, due to the film's modest budget, the apartment is made modest and thus appears lived in by a real person instead of theatrically run-down.
"You gotta be a moron... you gotta be a MORON to wanna be a fighter" (Rocky Balboa, "Rocky")
The most important part about "Rocky" being a low-budget film lies in the photography itself. Without top-notch cameras and lighting the film looks grainy, gritty and a little dirty- which transports you into the slums of Philadelphia without even being self-aware. The absence of cranes and rolling cameras gives the movie a bare-bones and unglamourous feel, the only way it could have worked. One other element that gives the characters a sense of being real is the use of repetitive language. Rocky loves to use the word "absolutely," and Gazzo frequently says "You don't think I hear things?" This is done in such a delicate way that it never comes across as cheesy catch-phrases, but rather speech patterns we observe in everyone. Little nuances in their vocabulary and words they use more than others- we all know those people.
In addition to the awesome training montages which I have to believe raised the bar for all other music montages to come later, the training sequences themselves are very telling. We see Rocky busting his ass and performing amazing feats while there is never a single second of footage showing Apollo Creed preparing for the fight anywhere other than on the marketing end of things. As a result, we get a much more believable feeling that this fight really can go 15 rounds and end in a split decision- Creed didn't prepare for a fight that should be a give-away.
After all is said and done, the most fascinating thing about "Rocky" is the fact that it was a textbook case of art imitating life and vice-versa. Sylvester Stallone was a nobody when he wrote this movie and defied all the studio expectations and predictions of the film failing because it didn't have a well-known lead and still it won the Oscar for Best Picture that year. It is inspiring, optimistic and charming despite the misconception that it is a movie about boxing.
More to the point- it has inspired over 30 years of out-of-shape tourists to run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for over 30 years!
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